Tablet computer screen &amp; mobile phone screen to digital i/o converter

ABSTRACT

An adapter that fits to a touchscreen of a tablet computer or mobile phone enabling input/output to the device for embedded control applications. Output is achieved by a plurality of photo-transistors arranged in a matrix which interpret a plurality of video image dots, squares or groups of pixels on the tablet/mobile phone screen converting them to 1s (ones) or 0s (zeroes). 
     Input is achieved by a plurality of wires (or conductors) insulated from each other by a dielectric and/or capacitive dielectric and arranged in a grid with ground or negative conductors and signal conductors which are selectively electrified by control electronics to a charge sufficient to disrupt the field or capacitance of the touchscreen finger tip sense at a plurality of locations on the screen. An application program(s) on the tablet/mobile phone interprets the electronically controlled touches as digital data.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an I/O adapter for tablet computer touch screens and mobile phone touch-screens and more particularly to allow tablet computers and mobile phones to be embedded controllers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general commercially available off the shelf computers, tablets and mobile phones have increasingly less I/O capability aside from wireless. Increasingly parallel printer ports, serial ports, mini-card slots (such as SD, SD-micro), and bus or I/O card slots have been eliminated with the exception of USB (Universal Serial Bus) and HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The USB available on many hand held computers and smart phones does not provide host capability.

Despite the fact that mobile phones and tablet computers have become multiprocessor platforms well suited to be embedded in a larger system with real-time constraints these devices have been increasingly limited by limited input and output.

In particular it is more difficult to use the tablet computer and mobile phone as an embedded system controller to be used within a larger system as was done prior with computers such as the desktop personal computer which had bus slots (such as the ISA, VESA, PCI to name a few) or parallel ports which could be used for input and output found on the earliest desktop units. VME was also widely used as a BUS wherein I/O could be customized in various combinations of discrete inputs and outputs and analog inputs and outputs via cards. Other customized cards for motion control (motor control), robotics and many other applications existed.

In view of these disadvantages, it is the object of this invention to make new increasingly restricted tablet computers and mobile phones more general purpose by this converter in a passive: hard case, cradle, slide in slot, rack, sleeve or encapsulated in a screen protector which fits over and uses the tablet computer or mobile phone's existing human interface (touch screen display) and software (EG MP4 player application, PNG image viewer application) and customized software to provide input and output (I/O) to the tablet or mobile phone used in the same manner as older PCI bus cards or VME bus cards to provide digital and analog I/O.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A digital input and output converter for tablet computers and mobile phones that overcomes disadvantages of prior art by using the common touch screen found on most tablet computers and mobile phones to provide input and output allowing tablet computers and mobile phones to be embedded controllers. For input: a grid overlays the touch screen and has a plurality of ground or negative wires (conductors) and a plurality of separate dielectrically insulated conductors individual electrically charged such that an individual conductor is activated with and creates an electric field that disturbs the touch screen to trigger the mobile phone or tablet computer touch screen.

A plurality of locations on the screen are used to receive input data. Software on the mobile phone or tablet computer relies on one of the signals (touch location) as a clock, this allows a stream of ones and zeros to be interpreted serially or in parallel in a bus cycle. A lack of touch sense during data transfer indicates a 1 with the reverse, a touch sensed, indicating a 0. The inverse logic is also available wherein a lack of touch sense during data transfer indicates a 0 and a touch sensed indicating a 1.

Output is achieved by a plurality of photo-transistors arranged in a matrix which interpret a plurality of video image dots, squares or groups of pixels on the tablet/mobile phone screen converting them to 1s (ones) or 0s (zeroes).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more clear with reference of the following detailed description as illustrated by the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single slot hard-case embedded controller and including a tablet computer and a mobile phone converter including the combined input and output converter according to this invention

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the input and output converter combination of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rack embedded controller and including a plurality of tablet computers and or mobile phone converters including the combined input and output converters according to this invention

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the input output converter combination showing one of a plurality of slots of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cradle mount or embedded controller and including a tablet computer and a mobile phone converter including the combined input and output converter according to this invention

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the input output converter combination of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embedded controller expandable band with ornamental reticle shape and including a tablet computer and a mobile phone converter including the combined input and output converter according to this invention

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embedded controller sleeve and including a tablet computer and a mobile phone converter including the combined input and output converter according to this invention

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the control of the input and output converter according to the embodiment of this invention

FIG. 10 is a multiple tablet computer/mobile phone schematic diagram illustrating the control of the input and output converters according to the embodiment of this invention

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of the procedure for producing digital output of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of the procedure for producing digital input of FIG. 9; and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 8 detail an embedded control system, according to this invention. Nevertheless, this description should be considered to apply to any type of data that requires I/O signals to and/or from a tablet computer or mobile phone. Thus, while this embodiment details input and output converters for embedded control using a single tablet computer or mobile phone and this embodiment details an embedded controller with a plurality of mobile phones/tablet computers, the system herein can be adapted to a variety of other data, data I/O, and data monitoring such as telemetry, pharmaceutical delivery, entertainment, games, pattern recognition, encryption, industrial controls, wireless probe devices, security devices, process controls, manufacturing facilities, robots, automated guided vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, food and beverage automation, boiler control, furnace control, avionics, aircraft/watercraft/spacecraft navigation, aircraft flight control, watercraft/spacecraft control, watercraft/spacecraft displays, aircraft flight displays, vehicle control, sound transmission, automotive displays, engine control, climate control, home automation, medical, wireless hand held data acquisition, optical controls, photography, electric generator coil manipulation, electric motor control, musical instrument, musical amplification, musical instrument sound manipulation, radar control and signal processing and display, cash register, weather instrumentation, sewage processing, water treatment, data acquisition, construction equipment, hydraulic controls, automatic teller machines.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 detail a single slot hard-case hinged or unhinged 7 wherein the mobile phone or tablet 1 slides into position and secures with a latch 4 so that the touchscreen 6 is aligned with the input 2 and output 5 converters and any other interface electronic connection and back-plane 3.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 detail a rack 9 consisting of a plurality of mobile phones or tablet computers 1 wherein each slot 10 contains input 2 and output 5 converters aligning with the touchscreen 6, and any other interface electronic connection and back-plane 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 detail a cradle 11 where the back of the tablet computer or mobile phone 14 faces outward and the touchscreen faces toward the input converter 2 and the output converter 5 and held in place by a hard stop 12 with 13 which also has any other interface electronic connection.

FIG. 7 details an output 5 and input converter 2 having a reticle shape which can be ornamental secured to an elastic band 15 which fits around or over the touchscreen 6. For alignment to the mobile phone or tablet computer 1 software displays the aiming point 30 on the screen or touch pad/sense area 31 to allow the user to correctly align the converter.

FIG. 8 details a sleeve wherein the mobile phone or tablet computer 1 slides into the sleeve 34 which has an elastic material 33 that secures the touchscreen 6 into proper alignment with the input converter and output converter and any other interface electronic connection 13.

FIG. 9 details a single tablet computer/mobile phone embedded controller 16. Input is received from a bus or digital and analog inputs 18. Field disrupter charge placement electronics 22 send data to the wire lattice screen overlay 2. The tablet computer/mobile phone 1 has an input handler 24, data monitoring 26, control 28, wireless communication 27, and an output handler 25. An Output photo-transistor matrix 5 and light to digital conversion electronics 23 produce bus, or digital or analog output 20.

FIG. 10 The embedded control system shown comprises a larger scalable 50 system 8. A rack mount unit facilitates a larger system 51 more readily via a common back-plane or bus 17. Other units can coalesce via wireless communication to obtain multiprocessing or parallelism embodied in 51. A plurality of individual systems 16 embodied as a hard case, sleeve, rack, cradle, elastic band with reticle, combine into a larger system 51. The detail of each individual system 16 is as follows: Input is received from a bus or digital and analog inputs 18. Field disrupter charge placement electronics 22 send data to the wire lattice screen overlay 2. The tablet computer/mobile phone 1 has an input handler 24, data monitoring 26, control 28, wireless communication 27, and an output handler 25. An output photo-transistor matrix 5 and light to digital conversion electronics 23 produce bus, or digital or analog output 20.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow chart describing a procedure for generating digital output from a mobile phone or tablet computer. In step 45 the control application on the tablet or phone itself is issuing a write command or is doing so in response to a wireless request to write or a bus request to write. An image is either generated or acquired 35 to present to the phototransistor matrix to convert to output. It is important to see that in many cases it is not necessary to write special software for displaying the images since most mobile phones and tablets are designed just for that purpose and existing applications can be utilized saving software engineering cost and taking advantage of the universal image and video formats 36. The image is displayed 37 or 38. Each frame of video or an image has a change state bit (region of pixels, dot, or square) when this changes 39 it causes the data to be latched and converted to digital data 40 in a discrete digital format/bus format 47 & 48 or conversion to analog 46.

FIG. 12 illustrates a flow chart describing the procedure for input 41 from digital or analog I/O signals from the larger system 46. An input list is scanned or a maskable (allowing prioritized culling) list of interrupts for input 44 indicates a new input is available. Fragments of 1 bit, 2 bit . . . n bits of data are placed on the lattice 42. The input handler reads the touch screen and converts fragments to data blocks 43. Input that has changed and is not culled or masked off is read in 48 The specific parts of the lattice are read for the input and the control application makes use of the input or passes it on to a wireless or bus output 49. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile phone and tablet computer input and output converter in which a plurality of digital input and output signals exist comprising: a matrix of a plurality of phototransistors with a digital circuit which converts a plurality of pixels, dots or squares on the screen of the tablet computer or mobile phone to digital output signals and an input converter consisting of a plurality of conductors; and a control circuit that converts digital input by using conductors which are selectively electrified by control electronics which triggers the touch screen at a plurality of locations which then is converted by a program on the tablet computer or mobile phone to a plurality of bits or digits.
 2. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the phototransitor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input are mounted in a cradle design wherein the tablet computer or mobile phone screen face aligns with the phototransistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 3. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the phototransistor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input are mounted in or connected to a flexible elastic plastic, rubber, fabric or other elastic material to form a sleeve wherein the tablet computer or mobile phone is inserted and is partially enveloped or fully enveloped having the screen face align with the phototransistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 4. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the photo-transistor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input have a reticle or are reticle shaped which can be ornamental secured to an elastic band which fits around or over the touchscreen for alignment to the mobile phone or tablet computer software displayed aiming point on the screen or touch pad/sense area to allow the user to correctly align the converter.
 5. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the photo-transistor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input are mounted in a hard case which the mobile phone or tablet computer slides into wherein the screen face aligns with the photo-transistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 6. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the photo-transistor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input are mounted in a hard case which opens with hinges to contain the mobile phone or tablet computer wherein the screen face aligns with the phototransistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 7. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the phototransitor matrix used for output and the conductor wires used for input are encapsulated in a translucent screen protector wherein the tablet computer or mobile phone screen face aligns with phototransistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 8. The tablet computer screen and mobile phone screen to digital input and output converter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tablet computer or mobile phone slides into a slot wherein the tablet computer or mobile phone screen face aligns with the phototransistor matrix and the conductor wires.
 9. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 1 wherein a rack of a plurality of slots is present to allow a plurality of tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converters to align the faces of a plurality of tablet computers and mobile phones.
 10. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 1 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 11. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 2 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 12. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 3 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 13. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 4 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 14. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 5 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 15. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 6 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 16. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 7 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 17. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 8 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 18. The tablet computer screen & mobile phone screen to digital I/O converter in claim 9 wherein it is used as an embedded controller.
 19. Analog input signals are converted to digital input signals in claim
 1. 20. Analog output signals are converted from digital output signals in claim
 1. 